Display support for burial caskets and vaults



July 31, 1934. c J w 1,968,273

DISPLAY SUPPORT FOR BURIAL GASKETS AND VAULTS Filed March 26, 1934 Patented July 31, I934 UNITED "STTE S PATENT OFFICE V I I 1,9ss,273

DISPLAY SUPPORT FOR BURIAL GASKETS H .AND VAULTS Clarence Wegner, Galion, Ohio, assignor to The Perfection Steel Body Company, Cleve-' land, Ohio, a corporation ApplicationMarch 26, 1934, Serial No. 717,532 I 6 Claims. (01. z -s4) The growing use of burial vaults for receiving cific features of the combination which will apand enclosing burial caskets when placed in pear more fully upon reference to the following graves makes desirable the employment in underdescription and to the annexed drawing, in taking establishments and manufacturers diswhicha 7 play rooms where caskets and such vaults are Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a stand displayed, of some convenient means for supor support embodying the invention and illusporting the casket and vault to facilitate the trating the burial vault base, casket, and burial selection thereof by prospective purchasers of the vault cover or top as when being displayed by same. i means of the invention, one of the front legs 10 W t the foregoing in V the p s n of the support being broken away but being fully vention comprises a relatively simple construcillustrated in Figure 2.

171011 of display 5111910011? p which may b 00 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stand or veniently'arranged the base of a burial vault, a support alone, showing more clearly the conburial casket, and the top or cover of the vault struction of the corner posts and the mounting 15 in sucha way that space is economized, and so of the rest arms carried thereby. disposed as .to readily show a prospective pur- Specifically describing the improvements of chaser just how the casket and vault are used this invention, it is notable that the stand or in combination for burial purposes. support thereof comprises a base frame generally By the use of several display stands or supdesignated A and including the longitudinal front 2 ports Of the p tion, each stand or bars 1 and 2, the latter disposed beneath the support may have displayed thereon a'particular former; the longitudinal rear bars 3 and'4, the typeof casket and aparticular construction of bar 4 disposed beneath the bar 3; the transverse vaultwhich may harmonize or gowell together end bars 5 and 6, the bar 6 beneath the bar 5; according to the taste of the person responsible and the complemental transverse end bars 7 and 25 for-the selectionof a casket and vault combi- 8, the bar 8 disposed beneath the bar 7.- Corner nation; posts,- those at the front designated 9 and 10,

In carrying out this invention, not only is the and those at the rear designated 11 and 12, are constructionproposed intended to be very simple, provided and suitably joined to the several bars but since the-weight of a casket and vault when 1 to 8 inclusive, in the manner shown in the 30 combined is'very considerable, an object is to drawing. Legs 13 extend downwardly from each secure avery rigid construction of stand together corner portion of the base frame A and are with one in which the casket may be mounted equipped with casters 14 for purposes of portabili an p position p y l Of its artistic ity of the apparatus. Forpurposes of bracing and f atu and the v p li in h man-I191" support, Crossbars 15 are disposed parallel" with 35 that the cover or top may be positioned normally the end-bars 5, 6, '7, and 8, and connect the front ope o up i from e b e t e' =a and rear bars land 3 ashort distance from the beneath. [1 ends of the stand. Diagonal braces 16 are at- With the forego ebleellives tached at'their upper ends near the upper portions fore, y a er supp is combination device of the rear posts 11 and 1,2 and incline downwardinvolvi a bsta tial a d rigid base frame ly toward the middle'portions of the rear bar 4 ported Onlegs q pp w 'cflstelfs 5 a e where they are riveted or otherwise fastened to readily portable, there being provided r id corner, this bar 4. They are likewiseriveted or similarly p ts r s f h b a e nd Carrying fastened to the upper rear bar-abut their lower rest members in the a m oflaierial' arms terminals are opposite the par 4. The base frame 45 p ed t suppo t a v interlock w the front A of the construction set; forth, as wellas the Portion of the Vault FQ 0 m there being posts and legs forming parts thereof, may be made associated arms o e i a d inter c i of pipe lengths and these pipe lengths may be w th e e portion Se vau er 0 p, joined together by screw threaded couplings or allin'such ma as pr v n liebilityef unions generally designated at 17. The parts 15 50 p ment ofthe vault member-and y t fiim and 16 may be flat bars if desired, though this is holding the latt 'e inclined p i p not a necessary requirement, as any suitable rigid posed'rel'atively tothe casket and base of the bars may be employed. vault which are carried by'the main base frame of The front posts 9 and 10 are taller than the the apparatus. v v rear posts 11 and 12 and carry at their upper 55 My invention comprehends certain other speends laterally extending rest members 18 projecting toward one another and equipped with upwardly extending projections 19. In like manner the rear posts 11 and 12 are equipped with rearwardly extending rest members 20 having upwardly extending projections 21 at their rear terminals. The upper portions of the posts 11 and 12 are bent laterally toward one another for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to. Preferably the upper extremities of the posts 9, 10, 11, and 12 are equipped with engaging knob-like heads 22 of similar form, and these are preferably of somewhat ornamental structure to enhance the appearance of the stand when put into use. The heads 22, however, perform a mechanical function in that the heads 22 of the front posts 9 and 10 engage with the end portions of the cover or top of the vault, and the heads 22 of the rear posts 11 and 12 engage within the cover or top of the vault, when the vault or cover is disposed in displayed position upon the stand or support of the invention. The rest members 18 and 20 may be riveted upon the posts which carry them, or, in the event it is desired that they be adjustable, instead of rivets, removable pins may be usedto pass through the hubs of the rest members and the posts, and the posts may be equipped with a series of openings through which the pins may pass so that slight vertical adjustment of the parts 18 and 20 may be obtained, whereby corresponding adjustment of the vault top or cover may be achieved in the displaying of this part upon the stand or support.

With the construction of my device understood as above set forth, the use of the invention f is quite obvious upon reference to Figure l,

wherein the base frame A is illustrated as carrying the base or bottom B of a vault of a well known metallic type at present commonly in use. Upon the base B of the vault-is disposed the casket C, and the cover or top of the casket designated D is shown open. Superposed relatively to the casket C is the top or cover E of the vault itself and this cover will be seen to be disposed in an inclined position with its front portion interlocked with the rest members 18, with the heads 22 of the front posts 9 and 10 abutting with the top E at the outer sides of the ends thereof. The rear side of the vault top or cover E is supported by directly engaging g upon the rest members 20, and the heads 22 of the rear posts 11 and 12 engage the inner surface of the rear side of the vault cover. The members 19 and 21 of the rest members .18 and 20 respectively so engage with the cover E as to assist in preventing sliding off or displacement of the cover from the rest members in an obvious manner. In order that the rest members 20 maybe disposed inwardly of the ends of the coverE and the, heads 22 of the posts 11 and 12 may engage inside of said cover, the upper portions of the posts 11 and 12 are bent inwardly or toward each other as shown at 11 and 12 respectively to. insure the arrangement of parts just above referred to.

By the use of my invention it is apparent that a burial vault and casket may be quickly. mount-.

ed upon the stand or support and the various parts may be arranged as shown in Figure 1 without difiiculty and with assurance that they will not be displaced accidentally in the event of pressure against them in any one of different directions possible. The entire construction in view of its simplicity and rigidity is very serviceable in practical use, and moreover it is neat and possessed of a certain degree of ornamentality as required, having in view the purposes of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A stand or support for displaying ,burial caskets and vaults, the same comprising a base frame, legs supporting the base frame, front and rear corner posts projecting upwardly from the base frame, the upper end portions of the rear corner posts being extended at an angle to the lower portions and toward each other, and rest members carried by the upper end portions of the corner posts below the upper extremities thereof, saidrrest members to engage the front and rear portions of a burial vault, and the upper extremities of the corner posts likewise to engage portions of the burial vault cover whereby to prevent accidental displacement of the latter.

2. A stand or support for displaying burial caskets and vaults, the same comprising. a base frame, legs supporting the base frame, front and rear corner posts projecting upwardly from the base frame, the upper end portions of the rear corner posts being extended at an angle to the lower portions and toward each other, rest members carried by the upper end portions of the corner posts below the upper extremities thereof, said rest members to engage the front and rear portions of a burial vault, and the upper extremities of the corner posts likewise to engage portions of the burial vault cover whereby to prevent accidental displacement of the latter, the rest members for the front corner posts com prising arms projecting laterally from the posts toward each other and equipped with upwardly extending end projections, the rest members for the rear corner posts projecting rearwardly there-.

from and comprising arms equipped with upwardly extending projections, and head members on the front posts capable of engaging outside theends of the burial vault cover and the outside of the rear posts capable of engaging inside the burial vault cover for the purpose set forth.

3. A stand or support for displaying burial caskets and vaults, the same comprising a base.

frame, legs supporting the base frame, front and rear corner posts projecting upwardly from the base frame, the upper end portions of the rear' cornerposts being extended at an angle to the,

lower portions and toward each other, rest members carried by the upper end portions of ,thecorner posts below the upper extremities there-- of, said rest members to engage the front and rear,

portions of a burial vault, and the upper extremities of the corner posts likewise to engage. portions of the burial vault cover wherebytoj prevent accidental displacement of the latter, the base frame comprising parallel superposed front and rear longitudinal bars and parallel super? posed transverse end bars connecting said front and rear bars, the said posts and base frame parts being made of pipe sections, coupling unions at the corners of the base frame unitingthe front and rear longitudinal bars with the adjacent transverse end bars, crossbars parallel with thetransverse end bars and connecting upper ones of the longitudinal front-and, rear bars the rearpostsbeing bent laterally toward each other near their upper ends and below the rest members carried thereby, the upper extremities of the corner posts being equipped with knob-lige heads at points above the rest members.

4. A stand for displaying burial caskets and" vaults, comprising a frame including spaced front and rear posts of different heights united to the frame and rigid therewith, rest members carreid by the upper portions of the front posts and extending inwardly to receive/one side of the vault cover between the front posts, and other rests extending rearwardly from the rear posts and constructed and arranged to support the opposite side of the vault cover, to prevent accidental displacement therefrom,

5. A combination stand for displaying burial caskets-and vaults, the same comprising a base frame including supporting legs, the said frame being horizontally disposed so as to support thereon the base or bottom of a burial vault upon which vault a casket may rest for display purposes, front and rear posts projecting upwardly from said base frame, the rear posts being spaced from one another and the front posts being spaced from one another, and the front posts being spaced from the rear posts, said posts being rigidly united to the base frame to form integral members thereof projecting upwardly therefrom, the said rear posts of the base frame being shorter than the front posts, rest members carried by the upper portions of the rear posts to support thereon the rear portion of the body of a burial vault, and rest members projecting from the upper end portions of the front posts to be engaged with the front portion of the body of a burial vault whereby when the burial vault body is engaged and supported on the rests of the said posts said body will be inclined rearwardly and downwardly from its front to its rear sides.

6. A combination stand for displaying burial caskets and vaults, comprising a horizontal base including legs at the corner portions thereof, said base being adapted to support the bottom of a burial vault thereon so disposed that it may receive in a displayed position a casket carried upon the upper surface thereof, a plurality of front and rear posts disposed adjacent to the ends of the base frame and projecting upwardly from the base frame, said posts being united rigidly to the base frame and forming integral upwardly extending members projecting therefrom, rest members projecting laterally from the front posts at points below the upper extremities of the latter and adapted to engage with the front portion of a burial vault body, and other rest members projecting laterally from the rear posts adjacent to the upper extremities of the latter to engage with the rear portion of the body of the burial vault when the latter is disposed in position upon the rests of the front and rear posts, the rear posts being somewhat shorter than the front posts whereby when the body of the burial vault is disposed upon the rests of the front and rear posts said body will incline rearwardly and downwardly to facilitate obtaining a display space beneath it and the bottom which is adapted to rest upon the base frame of the stand, whereby the top of the casket carried by the base of the vault disposed upon the base frame may be maintained in an open display position.

CLARENCE J. WEGNER. 

